Special Thanks

Cameron Kreager

Cameron will join us this year to run the production of the retreat! You’ll spot him in the back running sound, A/V, and generally paying attention to those little details that will make this retreat an amazing experience. Cameron is a worship pastor at a Lansing church and a Torah Keeper who I get to fellowship with on Shabbats. He and his wife, Jennifer, and their children have lived in Michigan for 2 years. You’ll see Jennifer here as a retreat guest. Jen sells some pretty great Torah shirts in her Esty shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/NotOneJot. My favorite shirt is her “Michigan Shabbat Shalom” shirt.

Important Details

WILL THE SESSIONS BE RECORDED?

The truthful answer is that I just don’t know, but I will try! Recording sessions is not as easy as it sounds, and I want our full attention to be on our live audience. Please just do your best to join us and don’t count on a recording. It worked out great last year, but I cannot promise for this one. Whenever technology is involved, I never make promises.

Attendees are not allowed to record the sessions in any way.

CAN YOU HELP ME FIND A RIDE?

Click here to join a Facebook group where you can make a post and ask if anyone near you wants to share a ride. Scroll or search for others who already posted. It’s a very public group, so be smart and safe. After you have purchased your ticket, you can request to join the Attendee-Only group.

WILL THE FOOD BE CLEAN?

Yes! The kitchen staff at this facility will accommodate our Biblically clean diet (not kosher) and have done this for other groups as well. At the last retreats I held here, the food was fantastic! They provided lots of turkey bacon and the like. You will LOVE the food!

WHAT ABOUT OTHER SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS?

You can tell me about your special dietary needs and food allergies when you purchase your ticket. The camp’s cook, Brenda, did fantastic with these special needs at the last retreat. The ladies were very pleased with all of the options she provided in the buffet.

CAN I BRING MY OWN FOOD?

Each ticket includes the meals, whether or not you eat them is up to you. There are no refrigerators available for your use. There will be very little room for a cooler in your room, but you might fit a small one. There is no ice for sale at the camp, but there are gas stations not too far away. If you need to prepare your own meals, the best option would be to camp in an RV so you have your own little kitchen and fridge. I expect those tickets to sell out, so snag one soon if you need it.

WILL THERE BE A SWAG BAG?

You betcha there will be a swag bag! Purchase your ticket before April 1, to guarantee you get a swag bag full of goodies. Click here for information about including your gift in the swag bags.

WILL THERE BE A MARKETPLACE?

Yes! It may not be as many vendors as last year, due to space, but for sure the speakers will be selling their goodies. Come with a list of upcoming gifts you need to buy. Bring your checkbook in case someone can’t take credit cards.

Have a business? Click here for information about promotion opportunities and to be on a vendor table waiting list if there is room.

CAN I REQUEST A ROOMMATE?

Yes, you can request a roommate(s) when you purchase your ticket and I’ll do my best to accommodate your request. But, please know there is a chance it may not work out. I will be making the roommate assignments and you will get them upon arrival. I will say, though, that at previous retreats, several women were roommates with strangers and the women were thrilled with their new friendships! Sharing rooms makes ladies become close friends fast! We are here to build relationships more than anything, right? Please pray for me in this. Making the rooming assignments is one of the most challenging parts of putting on a retreat! I’m very careful and it takes a very long time. Teen girls must be in the same room as their moms, however, so I will make sure of that request.

WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL?

I cannot give refunds. You may give or sell your ticket to someone else on your own. I cannot help find a buyer for your ticket.  The woman who purchased your ticket needs to email me, too, at Amy@TorahSisters.com.

CAN I PAY FOR JUST ONE OR TWO DAYS?

No, I’m selling tickets for the entire event only. You can come for just part of the event, but you must buy a ticket for the entire thing, even if you are unable to come for the entire time. If you need to arrive late, please let me know.

CAN I BRING MY DAUGHTER?

If your daughter is 14 or over, yes! Please buy her ticket separately in a different transaction/checkout. You must be sleeping in the same room as your daughter. Note it when you buy your ticket.

WILL THERE BE SPECIAL PROGRAMMING FOR THE TEEN GIRLS?

No. This is a women’s retreat, not a “mother-daughter retreat.” I am not planning special programming for the teen girls. Yah has made it clear to me that my mission is to minister to women, and not necessarily teens. There is a lot of value in them doing woman things with the women and hearing women talks from the women, and just joining in with us in what we are already doing.  I will have a table for the teens to sit together at some meals. Prepare your daughter to come ready to pour out into her peers, ready to give more than she receives, and I pray she will be blessed tremendously with new friendships as she shows the love of Yeshua to her new friends.

CAN I BRING MY INFANT?

Yes, with some conditions:

1. Email me before you buy your ticket at Amy@TorahSisters.com.
2. There will be an extra cost for you because you will need a private room.
3. Only infants 6 months old and younger may come. (Not yet crawling.)
4. You must have sleeping accommodations that are not in the dorm or a shared room with others that I assign. So, you would have to get a campsite to yourself, or a room with your own mom, for example. It’s important to me that other women are able to sleep well during the retreat so they can best enjoy fellowship. That is why you need to reach out to me, so I can be sure you get the right ticket and room.
5. Please be courteous and exit when your infant becomes disruptive during services. There will be older women who are hard of hearing and others who will really want to be able to focus during this special time, so please be considerate.
6. There are no nursery accommodations at the retreat. Please bring with you all the necessary supplies.
7. There is neither a refrigerator available for us to use nor ice for sale for coolers.
8. With all of that being said, I hope you can join us! Bring your stroller and come! The ladies and I love these little babies and welcome you! And be ready for lots of women willing to help you so you can relax and enjoy yourself!

 

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT FLYING IN?

I’m so glad you’re flying in to join us!

1. Fly in to DTW, Detroit Metro airport. It’s only about a 30 minute Uber to the camp from DTW.
2. Click here to join a Facebook group where you can ask to borrow stuff. The local ladies will be happy to bring you extra blankets, pillows, hair dryer and so on.
3. Whenever you spend a lot of money on a trip, I always recommend purchasing trip insurance. Ask your regular insurance agent about this, rather than just purchasing from the airline. It usually costs very little and will likely help you in case of unforeseen events.

 

WHAT SHOULD I PACK?

Some ideas of things to pack:

Towels
Twin-size sheets if you buy a dorm ticket
Blankets if you buy a dorm ticket
Extra blanket if you get cold – the one they provide is not very warm.
Pillow if you buy a dorm ticket
Towels if you buy a dorm ticket
Toiletries
Water bottle
Tote bag for your Bible, water bottle, and so on, for walking around camp
Swimsuit for the hot tub and pool
Pool towel
Water bottle
Earplugs
Sleep mask
Checkbook for shopping (not all vendors take credit cards)
Favorite games
Bible
An extension cord or power strip for charging your phone.
Casual clothes.
Comfy shoes for walking
Jacket, hoodie
If you are flying and don’t want to pack a hairdryer, I’m sure you can borrow it from someone.

WHAT ARE THE ROOMS AND BATHROOMS LIKE?

See the gallery of pictures below to see images of the insides of some of the rooms.

WILL THERE BE WALKING?

Yes, this is a camp, so there will be a little walking. It’s all close together, though. Your car will stay parked. If you have a disability, there are some parking spots at each of these buildings for a few of our Sisters to drive back and forth. Most of us will walk.

CAN I BUY A TICKET AT THE DOOR?

No, I don’t plan to offer tickets at the door. However, email me, and I’ll try, but don’t just show up. Amy@TorahSisters.com.

ABOUT THE DRINKING WATER

The camp has city water. I recommend bringing a water bottle and filling it up with ice water at the dining hall at mealtimes to take with you. There is also a drinking fountain at the tabernacle.

If you have special water needs, please bring your own water. Be considerate of your roommates, though, because there may not be room for you to have a whole case of water at your bedside. Consider leaving it in your car and bringing in a few bottles at a time. This may also help keep it cool as there is no refrigerator available for Retreat attendees. I provide bottled water for my staff and speakers only.

WHAT ABOUT THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE NAME AND OTHER CONTROVERSIAL MATTERS?

At Torah Sisters, I’ve always insisted that this be a place of shalom and no arguing or hurt feelings, and the Retreat will certainly be the same. There are a wide variety of beliefs among Torah Sisters who will come to the retreat. All of us believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and the source of our salvation and that as believers, we are to keep Torah. But beyond that, there are differing interpretations of scripture in several matters.

Some of these matters that many of us interpret differently are:

• how to say the name of YHWH
• which calendar
• Judaism
• head coverings
• women wearing tzittzit
• what the word “Christian” means
• which kinds of food ingredients are clean
• and so on.

If any of these types of matters are so important to you that it would hinder peaceful fellowship, then this is not the retreat for you. However, the Father has shown such astounding grace to us that surely it is an easy matter for us to be able to show that grace to others. Please remember that while we may have our differences, we are of one accord in many things and this retreat is to be one of shalom and grace among us. I want you to join us!

I will add that I don’t want any discussions where one woman is trying to convince another to do any of the following: reject Yeshua as Messiah, reject Paul, say we don’t need to keep all of Torah and the Feasts or promote polygamy. I do pray you exchange phone numbers so you can go home and discuss these important matters from home. I just don’t think they are appropriate discussions at the retreat where so many others can overhear your conversations, so I ask that you please refrain from those discussions if they come up.

DOES THE CAMP HAVE ANY RULES?

Yes, indeed, the camp facility does have some rules we must abide by. There is no alcohol or smoking allowed on the property. If you bring alcohol, the camp will send us all home immediately without a refund. Don’t bring alcohol, not even in your car. If you bring it, I’ll ask you to leave immediately without a refund because it puts me at risk of losing several thousands of dollars, and would ruin and end our event. Don’t bring alcohol onto the property. When you purchase your ticket, you are agreeing to these terms. Thank you!

CAN I STAY AN EXTRA NIGHT?

No, I cannot offer extra nights this year. Please plan to arrive during the check in time and leave at the end of the event. There are lots of hotels nearby if you have a long ways to travel.

WILL THERE BE ANY OF THE CAMP’S ACTIVITIES?

Yes! Adult ladies 18 and over can use the pool and hot tub anytime except during tabernacle times. Teen girls can use the pool and hot tub when a lifeguard is on duty, which is to be determined, due to staffing. You will also be able to walk around the camp, sit by the beach, play disc golf, and do other basic recreation activities.  I’ll also have some card and board games available.

IS THERE A FACEBOOK GROUP FOR US?

Yes! I have created a Facebook group just for those who purchased tickets. Click here to join the group after you purchased your ticket.

WHO SHOULD NOT ATTEND?

This is not an all-inclusive list, of course, because each situation is unique, but here is a short list of women who should not attend the retreat. I have this policy to ensure a shalomy and Yeshua-focused retreat for all of us.

If a woman stirs up conflict or gossip at the retreat, I’ll ask her to stop. If she continues to do so, I will ask her to leave. With such a short retreat, that is all the time I will have to deal with the situation in the most Biblical manner possible at such a short event.

Women who are not allowed at a Torah Sisters event:

• Women who just want to argue.
• Women can’t stop grumbling, complaining, or trying to get others to complain against Amy, the Retreat volunteers or the camp.
• Women who can’t control their gossiping.
• Women who stir up conflict and discord in the community, either online or in real life.
• Women who are under any sort of discipline or restriction at any congregation.